[X] My Assistant

[Living Arrow]

Please do not apply for this roleplay - the members who are taking part have already agreed via pm and so no more applicants are needed

“Soooorryyyy!” Ivy Kylarian dashed across the dock at full tilt, hands and feet slapping on the stone as she went. Her hair swirled violently around her head like a crazy cloud of brown wires that, couple with her wide rolling eyes, made her appear really quite insane. The Rank I Elite who was watching her approach, however, did not see the funny side of her appearance.

“You are late, Recruit.” He snapped, watching her skid to a stop in front of him with more than a little disdain. His sharp frown made Ivy whimper slightly and bow her head in shame. Late on her first day. For her first mission!

A girl, clad in black, stood with the Elite and regarded her with equally oppressive eyes. Well, that’s how they seemed on first glance. A second showed that they were actually VERY oppressive eyes – yellow and slitted like those of a feline. Ivy balked a little at that sight and uttered a minor growl in the back of her throat but recovered quickly and realised that the girl was actually very darkly pretty.

“I’m so sorry!” Ivy repeated again, catching her breath and allowing breakfast to catch up with her before it announced itself to the dock floor. Oversleeping coupled with a hurried breakfast and sprint across the base really had taken its toll on the girl – normally she could run for hours on end – but there was no time to be sick now!

The Elite and the girl made no move to accept Ivy’s apology and merely snorted at her derisively before the Elite motioned for her to move into line alongside the other girl.

*She must be a Recruit, too.* Ivy mused as she waited for her orders.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

All right, so she didn't usually have to repress her laughter given a situation, but this came as an exception. How thoroughly ridiculous! How could you be late on your first day? Not only that, but the girl looked like she was caught between throwing up and passing out, and the cute little sadist in Iris' heart was cackling demonically. It did take quite a bit of effort not to follow suit in reality.

Controlling herself, she merely raised a slender eyebrow in disdain at the blatant display of irresponsibility. Her interest was peaked slightly when she heard the girl give off a minor growl after meeting her eyes, and she couldn't restrain the smirk that curled across her face, her lip curling upward and slightly revealing the sharpened point of her canine teeth.

Iris ran her tongue delicately over her top teeth when the girl obediently came to stand next to her. She wondered on this fellow recruit and how someone so obviously irresponsible could be held in high enough regard to be on a mission with her.

Mmm... careful, Sagira, you're vanity is showing. She smirked, then glanced over discretely at her odd companion. Ah, to be young and stupid again. This should be interesting.

[Living Arrow]

The Elite looked at his watch impatiently. "Right, I need to make this quick so I can make the Magma raid on the other side of the city." His eyes danced over the pair, weighing them up with heavy scrutiny. "Your files say that both of you are adequate for the mission that I've set but now I'm not so sure... Anywho, you're both going on this one - it's hardly the work of two but I don't have anything else for today."

He motioned for the girls to come closer as he flipped open a portable holographic projector in his hands and brought the device to life. A green flickering light depicted Noverus from a southerly aspect, higlighting the zones of the city and the river surrounding it. Key areas flashed red, including their current position at the Maw. Another dot pulsated on the edge of the city in the northeastern corner, clearly in the Poor District. It was to this dot that the Elite pointed.

"Here is your target. It is a derelict warehouse on the outskirts of the city that we are considering as a possible new depot for harboring our vehicles when we said a transport of personel or equipment to the city. Before we make the decision, we need someone to go to the location and ensure that no-one is using it - especially Team Magma. Your task is to scout out the building, ensure that it is not under surveillance. Once you are certain that it is clear of any inhabitants, report back to me this evening. You can take these cameras with you to install in the building so that we can suvery it over the coming days to ascertain its security." He handed each girl a couple of micro-camera installation kits and frowned at them. "Any questions?"

"No, sir!" Ivy awkwardly saluted and ended up hitting herself in the face. The Elite's face dropped. Ivy quickly attempted to recover, but the big red mark growing on her forehead was distraction enough for the Elite to glance at and hiss an impatient sigh.

"Any questions, Smythe?" He repeated.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira raised a slender eyebrow at her companion's clumsiness. You're just full of surprises, aren't you, kid? she wondered. Turning to the Elite Officer, she gave a rather lazy salute, indicating how she felt this mission hardly required two people.

"No, sir," she replied in her soft tone. "At least, none that I'm sure you're willing to answer at my current... placement." She glanced at her companion out of the corner of her eye.

"Very well," the Elite rumbled, glancing again at his watch. "Remember, report back to my this evening when you're sure of the warehouse's status." He glanced at Sagira's partner and released a sigh. "And try not to get caught..." With that said, he turned and sauntered off to his own duties.

Slightly amused, but mostly annoyed, Sagira turned to her unfortunate companion and took a moment to survey her appearance. With a derisive snort, she turned and began to walk away. "Come on, mutt," she called back to her companion, "we've got work to do."

[Pumpkin King]

Victor sighed as he wandered through the halls of his new home. He had been in Noverus for almost two weeks and hadn't accomplished anything. He rarely left his moderately large abode, located in the Wealthy District of Noverus, and spent most of his time talking to his three Pokemon. Meowth, Victor's eldest Pokemon, lay fast asleep on the lavish sofa purring quietly as he dreamt of mountains of sparkling gold coins. Victor's Trapinch was out in the backyard creating an elaborate tunnel system underneath the neatly mowed emerald green grass. Spoink, Victor's youngest Pokemon, maintained its perpetual bouncing session to keep its heart pumping while balancing the large gleaming pearl between its ears. Victor suddenly stood up, interrupting Meowth's slumber.

"I can't take this anymore!" Victor said. "This is driving me insane! Meowth! We're going for a walk around town."

"Mee-owww," groaned the small cat.

"Oink?"

"Of course you and Trapinch can come!" replied Victor.

"And where are you going exactly?" said a voice. A figure emerged from a bedroom. It was a Magma grunt that had been hired to watch over Victor.

"I dunno," said Victor.

"In that case, I'll join you."

"Fabulous," Victor muttered sarcastically under his breath.

[The Rose Crusade...]

Sabrina lay cross-legged in the center of a dark, old, abandoned warehouse. It was a shabby and dilapidated old building that could barely hold itself up, but it must have had some importance if her superiors in Team Magma had asked Sabrina to set up security cameras all along the streets surrounding it. Sabrina had been busy meditating in the center of a pentagram drawn with chalk. Five lit candles lay at each of the pentagram's corners; an essential part of every one of Sabrina's strange dark rituals. Her pokemon were off frolicking about--well... that depends on what you consider "frolicking". Murkrow was sternly perched on the top of the warehouse, acting as a guard while Spinarak was busy perfecting its web-making abilities. Houndour was still in its pokeball, as it had no real purpose of being out at that moment. Sabrina had been muttering a strange slur of words which were unrecognizable at the rate she was releasing them from her lips. The candles burned for a couple of hours before a boy stormed into the warehouse, his arms flailing.

"Is that seriously all you are going to do recruit? Ya know, there are a lot of things I can teach you; I am a Grunt after al;" the boy said with much dignity. It was clear that this fool did not know Sabrina. She continued her enchantments without faltering, each word perfectly following the others in a rhythm.

"Come on recruit, as your superior I command that yo-!" A large wind swept through the warehouse that rattled the rafters. The incantations stopped as Sabrina opened her eyelids widely to reveal to pure black spheres in place of her normally brown eyes. Suddenly, Murkrow swept through the only entrance to the warehouse with what seemed like a pencil and paper in his beak and laid them just outside the pentagram. Without hesitation Sabrina snatched them from the pokemon and began furiously drawing. The boy that had been trying to confront Sabrina was now backed up against the wall of the warehouse, unaware of what was to happen next. In a mater of minutes the candles extinguished themselves as their wick burned down to a liquid as Sabrina rose to her feet, her eyes returned to normal. Sabrina held her masterpiece up to the light emanating from the doorway and smiled.

"It's time to prepare knave," Sabrina spoke harshly, not even averting her gaze towards the pathetic excuse for a human that stood quivering in the corner. Sabrina picked up her black book and the stub-like wicks left from the burnt out candles. Her pokemon gathered to her when she called for them. Sabrina showed her pokemon her sketch and they nodded. "Let's set up a little gave for our visitors," Sabrina said cackling like a witch flying in the night. The witch was back, and she would let her presence known.

This post has been edited by The Rose Crusader: Apr 4 2009, 02:01 PM

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Mutt. They have me paired with a bloody mutt! Do they how... how... insulting that is?!

Sagira forced herself to take deep, calming breath. Walking meditation. She was going to need a helluva lot of it today. She groaned. And maybe after today, too. She couldn't believe that they placed her with a girl that acted like... like she was a bloody puppy!

Couldn't they have placed me with... I dunno, a pompous ass, or something? Someone I could put in their place. You can't put a puppy in their place. They're too... She glanced back at her companion in disdain. -bouncy.

"Hurry up, mutt!" she snarled. "I want to get this damn job over and done with." And then I would like to find some catnip. It works on cats. Maybe I can intoxicate myself. Damn drinking age.

Rubbing her forehead, Sagira took a few moments to study the claws on the tips of her gloves, pondering if she should invest in actual pokemon claws to install at the ends. Would a Charizard's claws be too large? Probably. Hmm...

In the back of her mind, she could almost hear children chanting "Are we there yet? Are we there yet?" She was of a similar mind.

Mercy, spare me a moment, would you? she begged the wind internally. With a sigh, she continued on, wondering how much trouble she would get in if her companion got... lost.

No doubt far too much to play a part in it. She sighed again. Come on, Ira, you can handle this. It's just a girl. A stupid human girl. No, she's not a pokemon, but... deal.

That thought in mind, Sagira unhooked her oldest pokeball from her belt and flicked it in the air. "I could use some company, Serenity," she admitted, as the pokeball flashed open. She caught the retreating ball and hooked it onto her belt, as an Ekans slithered from the ground up her leg. She paused a moment for the serpentine creature to make itself comfortable over her shoulders. She patted the creature's scaly head, smiling softly. "Thanks, Ren," she said softly, and then began to walk again. They were close. Soon, this damn thing could be over with. She just hoped that the stupid warehouse was empty and this job would be an easy one.

She could almost feel Serenity roll her eyes.

"I know, I know," she admitted with a smirk, "where's the fun in that."

[Living Arrow]

"Heeey! Stop calling me a mutt, Silly!" Ivy protested loudly, loping along awkwardly beside her new teammate. "My name's Ivy... oooooh nice Ekans! Can I touch it? Don't let it bite me, mind!"

Ivy reached her hand out towards the glistening scales of the purple Pokemon but was stopped short by two very hard pairs of eyes. She quickly retracted her fingers and moved a little away from them. She moped along in awkward silence, not knowing what to really say to her hostile new companion so instead called on her own Pokemon partners to keep her company.

"Alpha, Beta! Come on out!" She called, calpping merrily as her two canine buddies yapped and barked their happiness to see her. She frolicked around with them a little, letting them lick her mouth and she theirs until their excitement lessened and the pair merely trotted along beside her with their tails wagging behind them.

Ivy delighted in their company, listening to their minute growls and sniffs that told her they were talking quietly. She didn't catch much of it but they said something about the girl next to her and Alpha nearly collapsed with laughter. Grinning to herself, Ivy scampered ahead with her Pokemon and boarded the small transport vessel that would take them to the city.

"Come on, Silly!" Ivy waved to Iris from the boat. "Mission's a-waitin'!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Sagira barely retained a smirk when the girl - Ivy, was her name? - backed off at her and Serenity's simultaneous glare. Although the violet serpent appeared quite content around Sagira's shoulders, the Ekans held a certain adversity to being touched. This arose, undoubtedly, from an incident that occurred when Sagira was young. A group of bullies in her hometown had been picking on Sagira because she did not have a mother. When Serenity moved to defend her from their equally vicious pokemon, the bullies captured the Ekans and proceeded to harm it violently, until Sagira was able to gain help from her only childhood friend, Mattie. The boy's Growlithe did wonders to drive the bullies off, and Sagira was able, with Mattie's help, to heal Serenity. Still, the serpent had never again been trusting toward humans or pokemon. Sagira was pretty sure that only she or Mattie would ever be able to touch the Ekans without being bit.

Although Sagira continued walking, her focus had moved to her companion and the two canine pokemon she was romping with, upon their release from their pokeballs. It was... odd.

Sagira knew that there were numerous reasons why she didn't enjoy the girl's company. One of them was for the same reason that Serenity didn't like to be touched - she didn't trust people. Mattie had been her only childhood friend, other than the pokemon she met throughout the village or the wild. Most other people had been cruel to her. She had always found solace in the company of pokemon, shunning that of humans, just as the humans shunned her. She emulated Socrates, her father's Persian, because of the kind way in which the pokemon had treated her - being there for her when her father was unable to be.

There were other reasons, though, as well. Sagira was a loner, through and through. That was one of the things that she never had to emulate from Socrates. She had always held similar qualities to the feline race, and this independent nature was one of them. Certainly, she enjoyed the company of her pokemon, but she was content to be in silent companionship with them. She didn't have to be battling to be happy in their presence, nor did she need to have them constantly in her attention, nor she in theirs. It was one of the things that annoyed her about pokemon trainers. Pokemon were more to her than weapons in a super-powered cock-fight. They were sentient beings with hearts and minds of their own, and if they wanted to go their own way... far be it for her to stop them. If either Umbra or Serenity wanted to leave, she would let them. She hoped they wouldn't, but... well, that's just how she rolled.

So watching this strange, irresponsible, clumsy, puppyish child running with her pokemon as though they were her brothers, and not her possessions, caused Sagira to pause. Call her biased, she had prejudged the girl, but the Elite had pissed her off when he told her she wasn't allowed to do the mission alone and that she would have a partner. Sagira had always worked alone. Sure, her pokemon worked with her, but she was otherwise a loner, and that's how she liked it.

This was... this was new, and she didn't like it. But she had to deal with it, she realized, like it or not, so why not make the best of it? Sure, the girl's immaturity threw her a bit, but then, Sagira had been forced to grow up fast when her father disappeared, and she had never had much of a fun childhood, having been the target for every bully's tormenting. She'd wanted to prove herself long ago, and it was probably her own damn fault that she wasn't as playful or fun-loving as this girl seemed to be. There was no way she should be taking her anger issues out on... well, out on a puppy. Goddess above, the girl was a mutt, whether she cared for the term or not - that much was obvious from the way she interacted with her pokemon - Alpha and Beta, she had called them.

I wonder where that leaves her, in relation to the pack, Sagira mused. She was no stranger to pack relations, mind. True, Sagira would never consider herself canine-esque in any regard, but she had been curious in the way Umbra acted toward her father, and so she had researched canine behaviors, and she knew the way "packs" worked. She wondered if Alpha and Beta were just names, or if the mutt - Ivy, her name is Ivy - held them above herself in the canine hierarchy.

The way she interacted with them, the licking (Sagira bristled at the mere thought), hinted that their relationship ran deeper than pokemon and trainer, and she briefly wondered on this strange dog-girl's past.

Who are you to talk, anyway, Ira? she admonished herself internally. You've got bloody cat-eye contacts and a headband with cat ears on it. All right, Panther-girl - who's the freak of nature, now? She resisted the urge to snort at her internal monologue, and came back to herself when the girl - Ivy, you lazy ass! - called to her from the boat.

"Come on, Silly! Mission's a-waitin'!"

Jumping up after the over-excited girl, she gripped the edge of the railing and peered down into murky water. She had no fear of boats, but she much preferred to walk to her destination. Though, she was always walking, and was used to it. She supposed she just didn't like change, or being told what to do.

You're independence is going to run away with you one day, Ira, she sighed mentally.

Thinking back to her companion's words, she turned to the girl, who was playing with her two canine companions. Deciding to try and be civil and stop being such an ass, she swallowed her pride and biased opinions, before starting, "It's... Sagira." She met the girl's gaze and managed a small smile, not entirely forced, much to her surprise, and elaborated, "My name's Sagira, not... Silly." She studied the two dog pokemon, her eyes tracing their forms and noting how Alpha really was dominant over Beta. "Ivy... right?" she asked in her soft tone, meeting the girl's eyes again. She fingered her second pokeball, before letting it flash open and revealing her own canine pokemon.

The Hondour sniffed the deck of the boat curiously before eying Ivy's two pokemon with caution. "This is Umbra," Sagira introduced, and smiled at the comforting presence of the dog, while she scratched the head of the Ekans draped across her shoulders. "And this is Serenity. Umbra would probably enjoy a good ear-scratching, but Ren doesn't like to be touched. I guess it's a flaw in our personalities."

Her smile came easier that time, and she had to wonder if maybe she wasn't as against human contact as she thought. It felt kind of nice to have someone to talk to who wasn't barking orders or... just barking.

[Pumpkin King]

Victor strut down the street, hoping to catch the attention of an eager challenger. His beautiful, god-like blonde hair bounced as he walked. Victor dramatically flipped his hair like a shampoo commercial but was interrupted by a rude comment.

"Would you quit it?" The Magma grunt following him said. "Do you have any idea how annoying that is?"

Victor turned on his heel to face the grunt. Victor's facial expression was enough to scare away small children. Even Trapinch flinched. "Excuse me? You are being paid to keep watch over me. I for one have no issue with getting rid of you. Mr. Brooks finds a guard necessary, but with the right complaint, I can have you fired and replaced in an instant and you'll go back to the pathetic, miserable life you were living as a worthless patty-flipper at your local fast-food restaurant. You better shape up."

The grunt timidly shifted his eyes, afraid to look at Victor's penetrating blue eyes. Victor held the angry glare for another moment more then turned against the grunt. With a large smirk on his face, Victor set his right foot forward and continued his walk. The Magma grunt followed, but kept his distance. Meowth, Spoink and Trapinch walked/bounced at Victor's heels, with large smirks across their faces as well.

So, um, I'm thinking that we all meet up at the warehouse? If so, I'll get Victor there soon.

[The Rose Crusade...]

The clattering of Spinarak's tiny feet was the only sound that could be head in the dark warehouse. Spinarak approached Sabrina breathing heavily and stopped at her feet to catch its breath. "Very good, Spinarak" Sabrina spoke as the string spit pokemon made its way back into the darkness. With its masterpiece of webs created for the to-be intruders set, Spinarak began its work on the second portion of its traps: Toxic Spikes. The spider pokemon began feverishly setting down dozens and dozens of tiny, deadly three-pronged needles with the sharp end up. Spinarak carefully placed each spike near the entrance to the warehouse and around Sabrina's pentagram. Meanwhile, Murkrow was at its usual spot at the top of the roof using it's special trap technique: Haze. It released a visible stifling vapor that surrounded the warehouse in its entirety: outside and inside. The warehouse was now shrouded in a mist of darkness, as even the moonlight could not penetrate the smoke. Sabrina was prepared with her gas mask, but her partner...not so much.

"I don't know what you want me to do Sabrina," the boy said, his voice muffled as he breathed through his shirt.

"Tell your Geodude to use Stealth Rock in conjunction with Spinarak, knave" Sabrina commanded through her gas mask. The grunt did as he was told, and soon, his Geodude was laying Stealth Rocks with the Toxic Spikes, both hidden by the thick layer of Haze.

"Another perfect set-up," Sabrina announced. "Murkrow, Spinarak, into positions! They will be here soon." Sabrina then sent out her Houndour who stood at attention beside her. "Be ready Houndour," the demon dog barked maliciously and licked its lips. Suddenly Sabrina but her headset on underneath her gas mask:

"Reporting to HQ, this is Sabrina from Warehouse 6. We are expecting some intruders, possibly from the opposition, awaiting orders," immediately and dark voice responded:

"Dispose of them".

"As you wish," Sabrina spoke darkly. She stood tall and listened as the pitter-patter of feet on cement became audible in the distance.

[Pumpkin King]

Victor and his entourage had strolled to the very edge of the Wealthy District. "Ha!" Victor scoffed at the houses that gradually became smaller and less ornate as he walked. Victor felt a hand on his shoulder and his smile fell.

"This is as far as I'm allowed to let you go," said the Magma grunt.

"Get your hand off me!" said Victor, shaking off the grunt's hand, but it would not budge.

"I'm serious," the grunt said with a stern face.

With nostrils flared and eyes narrowed, Victor commanded, "Spoink! Psywave! Amnesia! Immediately!" The young portly pig's eyes glowed pink as did the large pearl balanced on the Spoink's head. Still bouncing, Spoink used a combination of a Psywave attack and an Amnesia attack causing the Magma grunt to momentarily forget. "I won't be so lenient next time," Victor told the oblivious grunt, though he was only pretending to be tough. Victor didn't think for a single moment that Spoink's combination of attacks would actually work.

"Hey! Halt!" cried a female from Victor's left.

"Crap," Victor said to himself. Another Magma grunt was running towards him and his Pokemon with an Ultra Ball in her hands. Victor quickly exchanged glances with his Pokemon and sprinted.

[Living Arrow]

Ivy grinned and bobbed her head as her new partner, Sagira, made introductions for her fellow Pokemon. The young Aqua member delighted in making new friends - especially with canine Pokemon - and couldnt help but drop down on all fours to sniff Umbra's nose and allow him to do the same. She tilted her head to regard the strange formality that the Houndour held during her greeting and wished desperately that he would bark and play with her and her own companions.

"Please'd meet ya!" She announced, grabbing the dark dog by the head and scratching him playfully around the face. He made no move to pull away but neither did he look very impressed. Ivy internally shrugged and allowed her Pokemon to sniff at the other canine and talk to him with growls, grunts and yaps that Ivy decided not to eavesdrop on. Instead, she went over the mission plan as the boat carried the group to the city.

Ten minutes later...

"LEMME OFF!"

Ivy threw herself from the boat to tumble onto the decking of the north eastern pier and kiss the ground repeatedly with thankful lips. Never, ever had she thought going on a boat would be so stomach-wrenching and knee-jolting!!! She loved the feel of a land vehicle gliding over tarmac and had even once experienced the thrill of soaring in a helicopter but boats were the oddest thing to travel on! They swayed to and fro with no regard for the comfort of the passenger - a shocking thing, indeed!

Alpha and Beta pranced clear of the boat to land rather more gracefully near to their trainer and support her recovery by barking and licking her face. She grinned at them as she shook off her sea (well, river) sickness and wait for her teammate to disembark the craft.

"Grrr, nyup! Rrrrwo gr rup!" She commanded Alpha, nodding slightly south. The Poochyena listened attentively before uttering his own low growl of confirmation before dashing away, his tail wagging fitfully. Ivy smiled fondly as he diappeared from view, proud that her brother had gained the confidence to go scouting on his own after being the youngest and shunned for so long back home. Beta called his encouragement, sitting patiently at Ivy's heel for Sagira to join them on the bank.

"Come on, Silly!" She waved to the dark girl, "warehouse's *that* way!"

[Umbrae Calamitas]

"It's Sagira," she informed Ivy again, but she wasn't too concerned. She had been calling the girl mutt. Anyone of a higher intelligence - or perhaps, just a more civil upbringing - would have resorted to a far less-pleasant name. The girl obviously wasn't being rude. It was just in her nature.

She'll grow out of it, Sagira mused. After all, pups always do.

Yesterday, had someone told her that she would soon be affiliating a fellow Aqua team member with a dog, she would have chuckled darkly and given the speaker directions to the nearest psychologist. Had someone told her she would be traveling on a mission with said doggish-girl, she would have redecorated their face with her claws.

However, now that she was affiliating Ivy with dogs, and traveling with her on a mission, Sagira felt herself at ease. Sure, it was weird as all hell, but life, in general, never made much sense. She didn't care for change but spontaneity, she admitted, could be... amusing.

So she'd taken it in stride when the girl had gotten down on all fours and sniffed Umbrae's nose like she was a Houndour herself. She'd noted, filing the information for later consideration, the look of disappointment at the Houndour's serious attitude. Sagira had to admit, she hadn't taken that into account upon releasing Umbrae. The Houndour was as loyal a pokemon as anyone could hope to have, and when alone, they, along with Serenity, would play for hours on end without tiring, pride forgotten.

In the company of others, however, they all wore masks. Umbrae had grown to hold a serious disposition, taking it upon himself to be a body to Sagira and Serenity against the bullies in their hometown. She supposed it led to something of a distrust of other trainers, considering how cruel her neighbors had always been.

Umbrae had talked with more openness toward Ivy's two canine companions, however, so Sagira had let them be when Ivy had turned and gone over the mission with her again.

Up until the swaying of the boat made her look like she was ready to toss not only her cookies, but a whole cake, as well.

Having ridden in boats and ships many times before, Sagira was quite used to the rhythmic rocking. She didn't particularly enjoy it, but she had never been partial to becoming seasick, so she needn't worry. She paused a moment on deck, letting the girl gather her bearings back on land, before moving to make her own exit.

That is, until the girl started barking at her pokemon.

Sagira had gone completely still. She wasn't quite sure as to the reason for this. Part of it may have been due to the fact that any dog barking (other than Umbrae) caused her a moment of uncertainty, wondering if she was about to be chased (the trainers back home had often sent her running from their pokemon). The other reason was, no doubt, that the girl was barking.

And the Poochyena understood her perfectly, meaning she wasn't just barking to sound like a dog. She knew the language. She could speak perfectly with her pokemon.

If she was... was she raised by pokemon?! She supposed it wouldn't be the first time she had heard of such a thing, but it would be the first time she had ever met someone who had been...

Wow. She supposed that was a good thought at the moment. Yes. Wow didn't require a lot of brain activity, and she didn't think she had a whole lot to spare, at the moment.

Sagira left the boat, she was proud to say, with the grace of a cat. Leaping across the small break between the deck and the wooden dock, she stepped lightly, her movements balanced. She was certain that Socrates would be proud.

She decided not to mention the... conversation that Ivy'd had yet, with her pokemon. Rather, she would save the information for a later, more appropriate time.

She knew the girl would follow like a good little puppy, so she made her way silently past Ivy and meandered on silent feet through the town. A chill passed over her that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, and for a moment, Sagira felt the beginnings of a yowl forming deep in her throat.

Calm yourself, she demanded. Socrates would be ashamed of you. He never let his emotions show. Be calm. Be content. Be... feline. She grinned, knowing the sadistic smirk would reveal sharpened canine teeth. It was a form of smile that she had perfected in order to intimidate other trainers. Worked pretty well, most times. When it didn't, though, Umbrae had a nasty deep-throated growl that had, on a number of occasions, caused a few trainers to wet themselves.

Some people just had no class.

Sagira's steps slowed when she saw it. Or rather, didn't see it.

There were standing before what should have been the path directly to the warehouse in question. Instead of seeing a large building, however, there was nothing but a thick black haze.

Sagira shivered despite herself, and heard a familiar grown from beside her. She looked down to see Umbrae crouched low, hackles raised lightly. She might not have been able to speak Mutt, but she knew when Umbrae was pissed, and something was definitely wrong.

I take it this is no mere fog, Sagira mused, but when she turned to Ivy, she asked, "Where's Alpha?"

If the Poochyena had run into that fog... none of them knew what was awaiting them. She'd hoped that the warehouse would be empty, but with their luck...

[Pumpkin King]

"Meow!"

"Shut it!"

Victor and his Pokemon had been running for approximately an hour, terrified of the bare thought that his wealthy life would come to a bitter end. His own father had already taken that away from him and Victor was not about to lose his second opportunity. "From the looks of it, I'd say we made it all the way to the Port District," Victor panted to his Pokemon from behind a dumpster. Around the corner of the alley they were in, Victor saw a figure and quickly recoiled. For the first time since they were in the Wealthy District, Victor took a good look at his Pokemon. "Oh my God! You guys look beat!" Peering out from the alley, he saw the community Pokemon Center. "Alright guys, the coast is clear. Let's get you all rested up."

The sliding doors of the Pokemon Center opened and Victor's team stepped in. "Hello there!" greeted Nurse Joy. "How can I help you?"

"Um, I'd just like to get my Pokemon all healed up. They're dead tired."

The nurse sighed. "I see. The usual." Victor thought she seemed rather bored and the empty waiting room supported his thesis. "So, with clothes like that, you're obviously not from around here. What brings you down to the Port Disctrict?"

Victor hesitated before answering. "Y-ya know, just wanted t-to explore a bit." He returned Meowth, Spoink and Trapinch to their Pokeballs and handed them over to Nurse Joy.

"That's nice," Joy replied. "Some people in the Wealthy District would never think about venturing down here. It's nice to know that there are open-minded people like you around."

Victor vacantly responded, "Uh-huh," as he watched a Magma grunt walk in.

"Your Pokemon are fully healed. I-"

"Thanks! Bye!" Victor said hastily, grabbing his three Pokeballs and exiting the Pokemon Center. He scurried to another alley and released his held breath. "They're everywhere!"

[Living Arrow]

"Where is Alpha?" Ivy bit her lip and peered into the fog. If Alpha had gone in then he might have let himself fall into all sorts of trouble. Then again, maybe the mist was merely a coincidence? Ivy chuckled at her own addled thought and pushed it down in her brain. No, the mist was definitley a deliberate barrier to keep whatever was in the warehouse safe from the outside - of that, Ivy was sure.

"Erm, maybe he left us a message?" Ivy suggested. "Beta, use Odor Sleuth and see if Alpha is somewhere nearby."

The Electrike nodded and sniffed tentatively at the air, turning his head this way and that. He padded forwards slowly, turning his nose to the ground, sweeping it back and forth across the paved walkway. His focus narrowed on one spot for longer than the rest before his tail started wagging and he bounded towards the nearest building. There, against the wall, Alpha had left a clear marking as indicated by the puddle at proud Beta's feet.

"See!" Ivy announced. "Wassit say, Beta?"

Beta's green and yellow head shook with emphasis as he relayed the information in the marking, growling and yipping his message to his trainer with all the obedience of a child. Ivy smiled fondly as he recounted the information left in Alpha's piddle and nodded her appreciation when he was finished.

"He's 'round back, scouting out the next street to make sure we're all clear." She jerked a thumb to the nearest alley. "He'll be back in a minute!"

~/__\~

Alpha wiggled his way under the fence and into the final alley. He had managed to navigate his way to the far side of the foggy building and had so far encountered no resistance. Instead, he found an extremely well dressed human with the neatest head-fur that he had ever seen! Alpha wanted to rough it up so bad, it nearly hurt! Even so, he dared not announce himself to the potential threat and instead scampered back to the fence where he wiggled back under to return to Ivy. In doing so, he knocked over few boxes in his haste, causing the human male to turn around and watch him flee around the next corner.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

That is a handy trick, Sagira had to admit, as Ivy relayed the information Beta had gathered. I wonder if one can be taught to speak Pokemon... She shook her head. Meandering thoughts later, Ira - you've got work to do.

Turning her attention back to her companion, she was surprised to hear a gentle bark come from Umbrae, moments before Alpha came back into view. She blinked in surprise, wondering just how well Umbrae had bonded with the young Poochyena, before she turned her attention to the puppy making his swift way to them.

"Welcome back, furball," she said with affection. "You had us worried for a minute." Up until we got to see your art on the wall, she added with loads of fun mental sarcasm.

Turning to face where the building would be if she could see in the damn fog, she chewed her lip absently. "Well, I'm having my doubts that we're going to be lucky enough to walk in on an empty warehouse, so we best have a plan." Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned her weight heavily on her left leg, as she contemplated the possibilities.

Knowing that the mutt can talk to her pups, and probably Umbrae, too, will be a definite plus if the situation calls for it. I can usually tell what Umbrae needs, but if the situation calls for speed... it's just something to keep in mind. Having three canine pokemon, too, might be helpful. As far as I know, Umbrae doesn't know Odor Sleuth, but he's got a good nose on him, and I've never seen a Houndour with better hearing. We'll have to be careful, though...

She felt Serenity slither into a more comfortable position, and she smiled as another thought came to mind. Rather than keeping it to herself, however, she turned to face her companion and her pack. To her momentary surprise, Umbrae was sitting calmly next to Alpha, watching her with eyes that appeared to be laughing at her.

Shut it, you, she thought smartly, and she was sure he knew what she was thinking.

"Right," she said, calling her mind back to the present, and their attention to her. "Seeing as Alpha and Beta both know Odor Sleuth, I can assume they've both got good noses on them, so we can use that to our advantage. We'll have to be careful. I don't doubt that if someone's waiting for us, they've got some nasty traps with them, as well, so Alpha and Beta can sniff out traps, while Umbrae can try and find some of our Magma friends who might be hanging around in there. Umbrae can search the western side of the building, I'll take the eastern. Mu-Ivy, you can scout out through the center of the building, between us. Serenity's small and good at sensing vibrations, so she can warn us if we're about to run into any... unpleasant company. She sees body heat, too, so she'll be able to see, despite how dark it is. You'll stick between Ivy and I, right, Ren?"

The Ekans hissed in affirmation, and Sagira nodded. She turned back to her canine companions... all four of them.

"Sound good?"

[Pumpkin King]

Victor stood in the alley thinking of how he could explain his situation. "This would've been just fine if that other grunt hadn't seen Spoink attack that loser who was guarding me. Now they can have me written up for assault and..." Victor paused and strained his ears to listen. Waiting in the strange fog that he hadn't paid any attention to, he thought he had heard something. Suddenly, a loud noise sounded not five feet from where he stood. "OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod!" Victor cried rather femininely as he fled to a different corner.

"Meowth!"

Victor let out a feminine scream. "Meowth don't randomly pop out of your frickin' Pokeball!" Meowth brushed up against his trainer's leg affectionately and purred. Victor slid down to the ground and took a deep breath. "I just need to work this out." He let out his other two Pokemon and started walking. As he turned a corner, he noticed the same fog he was in earlier. At the same time, Victor, Meowth, Trapinch and Spoink all tipped their heads twenty degrees to the right and invisible question marks were floating above their heads.

"Odd," "Ow," "Tra," "Spoi," they said together with their faces scrunched up.

[Living Arrow]

"Alright." Ivy nodded, working the plan over in her head. She knew when to be serious and stop her lifetime of play for as long as it took to get an important mission done and this was certainly such a time. She bent down to scratch Alpha's ears and quietly praise him for his work before signalling for him and Beta to move out ahead of her.

"I'll be ok to communicate with these guys in the dark without letting anyone else know what we're up to but you won't be able to call any instructions without them being overheard... In that sort of situation I suggest you hang back until its absolutely necessary that you involve yourself in any sort of trouble that might be waiting - Alpha will give a signal when you're needed... I guess that sort of makes you backup? Oh, well!" Ivy laughed, grunting deep in her throat to signal her partners to move into the fog. "See ya on the inside, Silly!"
With that, Ivy and her Pokemon bounded into the light-consuming mist.

"Trike..." Beta muttered in the goom. He sounded like he was putting on a brave face but without seeing him, Ivy couldn't tell if his utterance of courage was false or not. She really hoped he [i[was[/i] as confident as he suggested but only time would tell.

"OK, guys," Ivy dropped to all fours and drew up next to her team. "It's silence from here on out. Noses are our friends this time so don't really on sight or trust what you hear unless you're absolutely sure it's me, OK?"

"Ena..."

"Lec..."

Ivy patted each on the back and loped ahead of them to the building, drawing up slowly and reaching out a careful hand to feel for any sort of opening to the inside. She traversed the wooden wall slowly, sweeping her fingertips up and down ever so slowly before they caught a narrow ledge. The windowsill was dusty and rough, deep enough for Ivy to get a proper hold and stand erect to carefully open the window. While the process was relatively smooth and quiet, it was not silent and the soft scratching of it rang like bells in her ears despite it actually sounding like a coarse whisper.

Alpha and Beta immediately leapt to the sill and their noses went down, sniffing the immediate area inside the warehouse.

"Nnnrrrr..." Alpha gently uttered. Ivy almost cursed out loud. The warehouse was not empty. "Gruh, nnrrr, rrwrr..." He concluded, Beta offering his agreement. Humans and Pokemon were inside the black wall of fog that greeted them on the inside of the building.

"Rrroo, gruh gruh!" Ivy urged them, sending them slowly into the building and springing up lightly to follow them in. So far she had come across no resistance but she was fairly certain that such peace would not be held for much longer.

*Be fast when we call!* She mentally urged Sagira as she stealthily entered into the warehouse.

[Umbrae Calamitas]

Umbrae knew well his mission, and he had no intention of letting his partner down. The inside of the warehouse was pitch black, but that meant little to the Houndour, who thrived in darkness. His ears stood erect, twitching at the barest of sounds, and his nose was constantly taking in and analyzing every scent that swam to him across the current of air. His paws were silent as he meandered through the darkness, but his throat barely held back the growl that begged to escape.

Humans. He could smell them. Pokemon, as well, but it was the humans that were his main concern. He could sense the cruelty and darkness that emanated from their pores. It was not darkness like his, for his was born into the shadows, but darkness that had been chosen. Evil intentions and cruel thoughts. These people were once trainers like those that had hurt Serenity. He hated them. They were his enemy.

They would pay for their choices, he promised. Maybe not now, but when he had a chance, there would be no mercy.

~*~

Serenity slithered across the cold cement floor, wrapped in a cocoon of deadly silence. Her tongue flicked in and out of her mouth at random intervals, tasting the air for traitorous scents. She could taste Umbrae far to her left, and somewhere to her right was the Electrike that bore the name Beta. The dog-human's adoptive brother.

She flicked her tongue again. Alpha, the Poochyena that Umbrae was so fond of, was scouting near her on the left, and the dog-human was not far ahead of her. She could see the outline of her body heat upon the cool air, dancing tantalizing before her. Her instincts begged her to bite the child, but Shadowcat liked the dog-human, even if she pretended she didn't. Serenity could tell. Shadowcat lived a life wrapped in lies, but Serenity was not fooled by them. Pokemon could see beyond the shallow lies human told themselves to remember, and Serenity was amused by the dog-human. She would not bite her.

Raising her head swiftly, Serenity let out a soft, barely audible hiss, but she knew that Alpha or Beta would hear it. There was another source of body heat ahead, closing in on the dog-human. A large mass of red, yellow, and white, and Serenity could taste something bitter and sweet on the air. A cruel human, like the children that had given her the scar on her tail.

Shivering despite the fact that the human couldn't see her, Serenity wished that Shadowcat was with her, or that Umbrae hadn't been scouting so far to the western side of the building. She was scared of these dark-hearted humans. They were nothing like Shadowcat, who pretended to be cruel, but who had a kind heart and never wanted to hurt a pokemon, even if it was hurting her.

Shaking her head, hissing again, Serenity slithered swiftly across the cold stone to catch up with the dog-human. Alpha and Beta heard her, she was sure, but she could sneak up on the bad human easily, and even if she had to taste his putrid man-flesh, she would. Shadowcat said not to bite humans, but this was different. This man was evil. Evil and cold, despite how he gave off body heat, so Serenity would bite him.

She hissed and slithered on.

~*~

Sagira was pacing.

It was something she had picked up from Socrates even before she started emulating him. Socrates paced when he was nervous. Sagira was nervous, so she was pacing.

She was also annoyed.

Ivy was right, of course. She couldn't understand Alpha or Beta, and no one's to say she'd get the right message from Umbrae or Ren if there was trouble, so it only made sense that she stayed out of sight and danger, until she was needed. She might look like she had the eyes of the cat, but Ivy could probably see in the darkness better than she could. She wore contacts for a reason, after all.

Letting off a deep yowling sound from her throat that Socrates had always released as a warning to someone who was about to be potentially swiped across the face with four large claws, Sagira turned and stared into the darkness.

She couldn't see jack shit, and it pissed her off.

I hate this, she groaned internally. I hate not doing anything. I know Umbrae and Ren can take care of themselves, and the mutt sure acts like she was raised in the wild... and she was so serious here a minute ago...

That had startled her. She had grown accustomed to the puppyish nature of the girl; the bouncy, uber-happy, overly-social personality of the girl. To suddenly see her serious and ready to pull the job had thrown Sagira for a moment, even though she should have expected something like that to occur. After all, Umbrae was the same way.

Umbrae... Ren...

To be entirely truthful, Sagira was about to go against Ivy's intelligent suggestion and follow them into the warehouse, but something stopped her. She had heard something that sounded like a scream, but she had been too deep in her thoughts to be entirely certain. Standing perfectly still, eyes closed to give her hearing a better chance at catching anything, she listened.

Sure enough, sounds came to her ears.

Footsteps echoing against the pavement, and then voices. They were too muffled for her to define them as either man, pokemon, female, or male, but there was someone close by - a number of someones.

For a moment, Sagira hesitating, thinking that she should probably stay where she was in case Alpha gave the signal, but what if the people she was hearing were Magma members heading to the warehouse? It would be better if she stopped them some distance away, so they had less of a chance at warning anyone who might be inside of Aqua's presence.

That in mind, she gave one last glance back toward the fog-imprisoned warehouse, before turning and moving silently through the shadows. Sagira had to briefly smile at the irony that her Tai Chi obsession had not gone to waste. The simple exercise had helped her to learn perfect balance, and she had gained an ability to move silently that many lacked - one such person being her target. She could hear his footsteps. She was sure it was a man, from the heavy footfalls. Or were those pokemon?

She stopped suddenly, staying near the side of a building and wrapped in darkness. She heard them now; a man and a number of pokemon. He said something the same time that they did, and she was unable to define the words, but she could see his silhouette. Grinning darkly at her fortune, Sagira moved quickly, running along the side of the building, before darting toward the man with a swiftness born of practice. Grabbing the scruff of the man's designer shirt, she pushed him back against the wall of a building and let her mouth slip into a rather sadistic smirk, displaying her sharpened canine teeth in what she hoped was a deadly manner.

"Hello, darlin'," she greeted with a lazy drawl, amused as she met his sky blue eyes with her own golden cat irises, "and what are you doing wandering around in my shadows?" She was taking in the light skin, dirty blonde hair perfectly set, and rather handsome face. She raised her lips, baring her sharpened teeth, as she leaned close to the boy, restraining the urge to hiss or mess-up her perfectly-kept hair.

She put on a brave front, but she was mentally kicking herself in the head. The man had pokemon with him, but Umbrae and Serenity were both still in the warehouse. She couldn't call for help without drawing the attention of more Magma members. To be blunt, she'd just put herself in a god-awful position, and she was hoping for either a miracle, or that she managed to scare the kid into backing off so she wouldn't get her ass kicked.

Sagira, you idiot! She resisted punching herself in the head, and instead returned her attention to the boy in her grasp. "This isn't exactly a good time for you to be running around on your lonesome, little Magma," she snarled, dearly hoping she could scare the kid off.

This post has been edited by Umbrae Calamitas: Apr 7 2009, 03:52 PM